Page 10 - 2016-2017 LWTech Student Handbook

Supporting Students Through Campus Initiatives
LWTech is the only public institute of technology in Washington state and offers eight BAS degrees, 42 two-year associate degrees, and more than 85 certificates. LWTech also offers several high school programs, like Running Start, Technical Academy, and Open Doors. LWTech is accredited at both the Associate and Baccalaureate Degree levels by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. LWTech supports student achievement through centralized campus initiatives that include: the Completion Initiative; the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan (EDIP); grant development; and the college’s Strategic Plan.
Completion Initiative
The Completion Initiative launched in 2013 at the request of President Morrison Goings. This multi-year plan focused on improving the rate at which LWTech students attain degrees or certificates. With the 2016-2017 academic year designated as the last year of this plan, future activities will be embedded in the next Strategic Plan. Highlights from 2016-2017 include:
Transition to an innovative, faculty-led guided self- placement model for new student assessment in math and English. This allows students to take ownership of their education from the beginning, and is funded by a grant from College Spark Washington.
Orientations both for part- and full-time faculty ensures faculty awareness of institutional expectations and supports them with the resources they need to be successful.
Development of new data dashboards allows faculty, staff, and students to easily access student success information, such as cohort completion rates and enrollment trends. The data dashboards are available at lwtech.edu/Data.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan
In May 2015, LWTech adopted our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan (EDIP). The EDIP provided a roadmap for work through fall 2017 with additional formal goals related to equity and diversity in the upcoming Strategic Plan. Accomplishments from 2016-2017 include:
Raising the EDI Advisory Committee to Council status
to solidify its role and importance in college governance. The Council is now one of five campus councils with executive-level sponsorship.
Offering of professional development opportunities related to equity, diversity, and inclusion for all through the Professional Development center on campus. This center offered EDI-focused trainings, including Safe Zone Training - Supporting LGBTQ+ and Working with ESL Speakers in the Classroom.
Collaboration on the upcoming Strategic Plan to ensure an EDI focus to continue the foundational work accomplished under the EDIP.
Grant Development
LWTech, in collaboration with the Workforce Development Council of Seattle King County and the Corporate & Continuing Education Center at Everett Community College (CCEC), received $275,000 from the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board to support the manufacturing industry in King County. The Upskill Backfill project will upskill current manufacturing employees
into management and leadership roles through trainings at the CCEC. LWTech will backfill those openings with graduates from one of our many advanced manufacturing programs. Community partners include Seattle Goodwill and Seattle Housing Authority. Current employer partners include Astronics, Spectralux, and Genie (Terex brand).
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